Charles' Last Chapter
When I found my third great-grandfather's death record, I expected it to close the book on his story. I never thought it would be the gateway to an entire last chapter of his life.
In looking for the death record, I searched British Columbia records. I know I did. Why I didn't come across this when I originally looked, I don't know. I suspect what happened is that, at the time, I still hadn't given up my belief that he had died in Michigan. So, anything less than an exact match anywhere else, was likely disregarded by me.
In any case, Charles Wood died in Burnaby on 9 April 1918.
Everything on the record either matches or logically meshes with what I already have on Charles. Everything except one thing: Charles' mother is listed as Jane Galagher. Jane's maiden name is always listed as Montgomery on every other record I have for the Wood children, except one. That one being Jane's daughter's (Charles' sister who also lived in British Columbia) death record. That record also lists her maiden name as Gal(l)agher. In any case, the Gallagher/Montgomery mystery is something to explore.
The informant on Charles' death record was his wife. His new, third wife, who was completely unknown to me before this record. "Mrs. L. Wood" was formerly Letitia Lowes from Emily, Victoria, Ontario. Letitia married Joseph Mills and they had several children. By 1891, the family had left Emily and were living in Broadview in what is now Saskatchewan. In 1901, Letitia is widowed and living with her married daughter in Winnipeg. In 1906, Letitia is back in Saskatchewan, Moosomin, with two of her children.
Letitia went back to Winnipeg when she married Charles Stewart Wood there on 17 March 1911. Apparently the man who married them was a famous author and Church leader. A C. S. Wood had arrived in Emerson, Manitoba from Michigan the day before. I'm inclined to believe this is Charles, but there aren't enough details to know for sure.
They left Winnipeg very soon after the marriage and they were enumerated in British Columbia on June 7 or 8, 1911. They would move again, but not far, and Charles eventually retired from farming. Charles was a Mason and was buried in the Masonic section of Mountain View Cemetery in Vancouver. I wonder if any of his children back in Michigan made it to his funeral...
Letitia was still at their Imperial St. home in 1921 where she was living with her daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter. She died in Vancouver in 1944.
In my mind, I had created a picture of Charles quietly spending his last days in rural Michigan, where he had lived more than a quarter of a century. However, in hindsight, Charles' early life might be a clue as to his apparent lifelong restlessness. After leaving Ireland for Ontario as a youth, he continually moved between Canada and Michigan before finally putting down roots in Isabella Co. in the mid-1880s, that is until 1911.
Something else I've noticed is I don't think Charles enjoyed being unmarried. He waited less than a year between the death of his first wife and his marriage to his second. He waited even less time between the death of the second and his marriage to the third five months later. I do wonder how he and his last two wives met. Neither appear to have any pre-existing familial, religious or geographic connection to Charles.
If there is one ancestor I never get tired of researching, it is Charles. He turns left when I expect him to turn right, and has a track record of making bold choices. I've reached a point where nothing concerning Charles would surprise me. For all I know, there could be an entirely new chapter of Charles' life out there waiting for me to find.
In looking for the death record, I searched British Columbia records. I know I did. Why I didn't come across this when I originally looked, I don't know. I suspect what happened is that, at the time, I still hadn't given up my belief that he had died in Michigan. So, anything less than an exact match anywhere else, was likely disregarded by me.
In any case, Charles Wood died in Burnaby on 9 April 1918.
The informant on Charles' death record was his wife. His new, third wife, who was completely unknown to me before this record. "Mrs. L. Wood" was formerly Letitia Lowes from Emily, Victoria, Ontario. Letitia married Joseph Mills and they had several children. By 1891, the family had left Emily and were living in Broadview in what is now Saskatchewan. In 1901, Letitia is widowed and living with her married daughter in Winnipeg. In 1906, Letitia is back in Saskatchewan, Moosomin, with two of her children.
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| Marriage Notice from The Winnipeg Tribune 22 March, 1911, page 5 |
They left Winnipeg very soon after the marriage and they were enumerated in British Columbia on June 7 or 8, 1911. They would move again, but not far, and Charles eventually retired from farming. Charles was a Mason and was buried in the Masonic section of Mountain View Cemetery in Vancouver. I wonder if any of his children back in Michigan made it to his funeral...
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| Funeral Notice from the Vancouver Daily World, 11 April, 1918, page 12 |
Letitia was still at their Imperial St. home in 1921 where she was living with her daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter. She died in Vancouver in 1944.
In my mind, I had created a picture of Charles quietly spending his last days in rural Michigan, where he had lived more than a quarter of a century. However, in hindsight, Charles' early life might be a clue as to his apparent lifelong restlessness. After leaving Ireland for Ontario as a youth, he continually moved between Canada and Michigan before finally putting down roots in Isabella Co. in the mid-1880s, that is until 1911.
Something else I've noticed is I don't think Charles enjoyed being unmarried. He waited less than a year between the death of his first wife and his marriage to his second. He waited even less time between the death of the second and his marriage to the third five months later. I do wonder how he and his last two wives met. Neither appear to have any pre-existing familial, religious or geographic connection to Charles.
If there is one ancestor I never get tired of researching, it is Charles. He turns left when I expect him to turn right, and has a track record of making bold choices. I've reached a point where nothing concerning Charles would surprise me. For all I know, there could be an entirely new chapter of Charles' life out there waiting for me to find.
You probably already have this mystery solved, the one about Jane Galagher/Montgomery. Could she have married Mr. Montgomery before she married your Charles Woods? (I know, anything is possible, right?)
ReplyDeleteIsn't it great to have an ancestor who surprises you all the time? It keeps the search fun and interesting.